The extensive experience Kraig Kitchin has in the radio industry is undeniable. He has worked alongside renowned personalities such as Rush Limbaugh, Steve Harvey, and Casey Kasem. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping the industry as we know it today. As the co-founder of Premiere Networks and the current President of Sound Mind, a management firm for talented individuals, Kitchin continues to lead and innovate.
Before his current position, he served as the President/COO of Premiere Radio Networks, the country’s leading radio network with 90 programs syndicated to over 4,600 affiliates. Kitchin’s remarkable success story is a testament to his dedication and groundbreaking achievements, starting from humble beginnings and reaching the very top of the industry.
In a recent interview with Dan Granger on The Media Roundtable, Kitchin discussed his journey in establishing Premiere Networks and the changing landscape of the radio industry. When asked to reflect on his beginnings in radio in 1979 and provide advice for the next 45 years, Kitchin emphasized the importance of radio stations refraining from believing they hold a monopoly on audio consumption for the entire population.
“It’s not going to have a lock. There are going to be innovations that come along, and whether it’s satellite radio, internet radio, podcasting, or audio streaming, all these things are about to happen in 45 years, and just like society looks to improve itself in every way, radio has to look to improve itself in every way.”
Throughout Kitchin’s professional journey, he had the advantage of being involved in both the advertising and content sectors. He discussed the transformations in the mindset required for those who oversee content today compared to when he first entered the industry in the late 1970s.
“Today, you have to imagine an audio consumer is being attracted to video experiences in a more plentiful number of ways,” he said. “If I had told somebody in 1979 that you could watch your favorite television show all day long, from a device that you keep or carry, that’s not connected to any wires, and you could watch for hours and hours, that’s one of your many forms of competition.”
Kitchin further explained that the well-known personalities we were familiar with from AM/FM radio stations are now in competition with the audio renaissance initiated by satellite radio and then was significantly amplified by the rise of podcasts and audio streaming, surpassing our wildest imaginations. He stated that currently, up to three million podcasters generate content, which is more than what a bookstore could offer at any given time.
“I would have worked hard to develop a strong bench of personalities,” Kitchin said reflectively. “There was a time in the radio industry when contraction and consolidation took hold. Hundreds, if not thousands of really talented on-air personalities were told to go home, find another career, or the musical chairs game in their career came to an end, and they were left without a seat.”
Kitchin founded Premiere Networks in 1987, noting that the threshold for entry into the syndicated radio market was relatively low. Since consolidation had yet to occur, numerous broadcasters were still in operation at the time. He stated that if you could produce a quality radio program with national appeal, managers and executives were receptive to exploring how the broadcaster could fulfill the demand for ratings and revenue.
“Syndication was an early concept; Norm Pattiz, the founder of Westwood One, had patterned it. He was the first one who brought it to scale. There were companies like Mutual Broadcasting Systems, NBC’s The Source, and ABC Radio Network, but no individual syndication company affiliated with these owned and operated had taken root. Norm Pattiz’s instigation to create live music events and concerts that radio stations could affiliate with opened the door for other radio stations to say ‘What good ideas are out there?'”
Kitchin stated that the foundation of Premiere Networks rested upon the notion that certain program concepts could captivate radio audiences without requiring payment for the content. Instead, they could exchange commercial time in return. According to Kitchin, this approach played a vital role in the triumph of radio syndication.
According to him, local content production for a radio station is influenced by the size and economic composition of the market it serves. He noted that the competition for consumer spending has intensified, resulting in some changes, such as the closure of influential newspapers.
“We know that there is the same number of populaces that are living in those communities, now they’re getting their information in different ways,” Kitchin said. “Whether it’s avant-garde as unsubstantiated material or it might be shared in a tweet, in an Instagram post, or on Next Door Neighbor, whatever communication tool to keep people connected does exist. The common dominator now is what’s interesting to this audience.”
